Phase change material W0.04(Sb4Te)0.96 for application in high-speed phase change memory

• W doped Sb4Te was studied for phase change memory.
• W0.04(Sb4Te)0.96 has been confirmed to be high speed.
• W0.04(Sb4Te)0.96 has been confirmed to be high thermal stability.

W-doped Sb4Te is proposed for high-speed phase change memory (PCM). The crystallization speed of W0.04(Sb4Te)0.96 is characterized in both the film and device, confirmed to be ∼30 ns and 6 ns. The crystallization temperature and data retention have been increased to 192 and 112 °C. The melting point is 550 °C, ∼75 °C lower than that of GST. The grain size is controlled to be 30–50 nm, lowering the stress and improving the cycling ability. The small grains, good thermal stability, high crystallization speed and low melting temperature have made the W0.04(Sb4Te)0.96 a potential candidate for high-speed PCM application.